The King of Hell
by Lamenting Fox
Summary: Post volume 5. Koutari's still toying with Tatsuki's emotions, but what happens when he decides to take the harassment one step further? Read and review!
1. Eyes of the Devil

**A/N: **Well...after spending months away from the world of writing, as I am prone to do, I decided to write another fanfiction story. I meant to write one for Dramacon, but then Volume 5 of Hands Off! came out, and I couldn't resist. I couldn't wait for the next volume in...what is it, May? Impossible. So I wrote this instead. Please note, it takes place after Volume 5, so if you don't want any spoilers or references to the book, don't read _this_ until after you've read _that_. Got it?

**One and only time Allmighty Disclaimer for this story:** Oh, if only I owned...well, let's just say I'd have a _lot_ of fun. **

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter One: **Eyes of the Devil

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_Click._

Karen snapped another picture of Tatsuki as she followed him through the streets of Tokyo. He didn't seem to have any destination in mind. He didn't even have his bike. He was just...walking.

_Click._

A small part of her wondered what she would eventually do with all of the pictures she had of the trio of boys--at least without Tatsuki finding out and destroying her camera. _Or worse_, she thought, frowning.

_"Screw around again, and you'll lose more than film."_

She adjusted her glasses--she was incognito, as usual--and decided whether or not it would be worth it to follow Tatsuki anymore. It didn't look like it was going to be an interesting day.

Karen almost didn't see another boy walking down the sidewalk suddenly stop in front of Tatsuki. The only reason she noticed him at all was that Tatsuki stopped too, glaring at the boy with obvious dislike.

_Hello,_ she thought. _This could be good._

Karen knew from experience if Tatsuki was angry enough to fight, there would be a ton of great shots just waiting to be captured forever on film.

The unknown boy was saying something to Tatsuki, and Karen swore when she realized she was too far away to hear anything. _Well, I might as well make the most of it._

_Click._

Tatsuki was getting angry now. She could tell by the way he tensed his shoulders and dropped his head a little, like a dog backed into a corner. He was ready to attack.

_Click._

To Karen's disappointment, instead of swinging at the boy, Tatsuki just shoved his way past and walked away. Curious now despite herself, Karen zoomed in on the other boy.

_Click._

She couldn't keep her hands from trembling.

_Click._

His smug smile was unnerving enough. But his eyes...

His eyes were hard, cruel, and filled with a joyful hate.

He had the eyes of a killer.

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"Yo, Tatsuki, what's up?" Yuuto greeted the dark-haired boy, walking over to where Tatsuki was parking his motorcycle.

Tatsuki was silent, but Yuuto expected it by now.

"Hey, have you seen Kotarou?" he asked, but Tatsuki's gaze as fixed somewhere over Yuuto's left shoulder. His aura had turned dark purple, and Yuuto knew without turning around who he was looking at.

"Koutari still bothering you?" he asked quietly. "Look, I know you don't want my opinion, but I really think we should do something about this. Maybe we should warn Kotarou."

The moment his cousin was mentioned, Tatsuki turned and walked away.

"You're right, I don't want your opinion. And I don't want your help."

Yuuto could have smacked himself. _You idiot_. "Oi, Tatsuki!" he called, hurrying after his friend.

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Unnoticed by the two boys, Koutari was watching them closely. He smiled as they walked away.

_That's right, Tatsuki. Push him away just like you do with everyone else. I'll take care of Yuuto for you._


	2. Devil's Attack

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Two: **Devil's Attack

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"Thank you, come again!" Kotarou waved cheerfully to the woman exiting the store. 

With no more customers waiting, he turned and went back to his previous task--restocking the merchandise behind the counter.

His mind wandered as he worked. He thought about his next basketball game, his date with Mio tomorrow, and his promise to play with Akira after work. He thought about other things, too. Like his last trip back home, and what Sono had said to him.

"_After you touched me, I couldn't dodge my feelings anymore._"

That still bothered Kotarou. Why did that one touch have such an affect on Sono? It wasn't any different from the way he touched anyone else. There was nothing special about it, really.

_Maybe it just _felt_ different to him somehow, _he wondered. _Maybe Tatsuki feels the same thing when I touch him._

Kotarou frowned. That _would_ explain why he was always so angry with Kotarou. But what was it that he _felt?_

"So this is where you work, huh?"

Kotarou yelped and spun around. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Koutari. "Hey, Kazuma. What are you doing here?"

Koutari grinned. "I was just passing by--trying to get used to Tokyo, you know?--and I saw you in here so I thought I'd stop in and say hello." He dropped a bag of chips on the counter.

Kotarou rang the chips up.

"A couple of guys are getting together for a basketball game on Sunday. I know it's only a day after Konan's game against Takanichi High, but do you want to come? We could really use your help," Koutari said, handing him money for the chips.

"I can't. I promised my grampa I'd help him clean out his attic on Sunday," he explained. He handed Koutari his change. "Sorry."

Koutari shrugged. "Can't your cousin do it? I mean he doesn't have any friends, so it's not like he'll have anything better to do, right?"

"He wouldn't do it even if I begged him," Kotarou huffed angrily. "He'd probably _not_ do it just to piss me off."

Koutari laughed. "Maybe next time then." He grabbed his chips and headed for the door. "See you around, Kotarou," he called over his shoulder.

"Yeah, see you," Kotarou responded absently. Something was nagging him, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Shrugging to himself, Kotarou decided he would think about it later, and went back to work.

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_Oh, man. This bites,_ Yuuto thought in annoyance._ It's like all of the hot girls just disappeared._

He'd been walking around for at least an hour, and so far not one girl had really caught his interest.

_Maybe I've been hanging around Tatsuki a little too much. His lack of interest in girls is wearing off on me_, he mused as he meandered vaguely towards his bike. He snorted. _Yeah, right. The day I lose interest in girls is the day I lose the will to live_.

He turned down a narrow side street, picking up his pace a little. His bike was parked at the end, and with no girls about, he had no reason to stick around.

Just as he reached his motorcycle, Yuuto felt more than heard someone behind him. With one hand already on his bike, he glanced over his shoulder.

He didn't have time to dodge the bat aimed straight at his head. He was unconscious before his body even hit the ground.


	3. Searching for an Answer

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Three: **Searching for an Answer

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"Tatsuki, have you seen Yuuto today? I borrowed his math notes, but I can't find him to give them back," Kotarou asked his cousin at school the next day. 

"Do I look like a babysitter?" replied the brooding boy.

Kotarou growled. "Fine, jerk. Thanks for all of your _fantastic_ help!"

With that, he stormed away, leaving Tatsuki alone with his thoughts.

_He's probably just sick. Or out chasing girls_, he decided.

School started, and Yuuto was nowhere to be found, and the teacher did not say anything about him calling in sick. Tatsuki couldn't help but notice that Koutari looked exceptionally smug, and a shiver of fear ran through him.

_What if.._. Tatsuki shook the thought off. _No. I will not get paranoid over this. Why should I care if Yuuto misses a day of school?_

But he did care, and it surprised him. If Koutari had done something to Yuuto, it would be his fault. _His_ fault because he was too afraid to do anything about it. He was afraid of Koutari.

And as much as Yuuto annoyed him sometimes, he _was_ one of the only people who'd accepted Tatsuki, powers and all.

Koutari caught his eye and smiled.

"_Look how desperate you are."_

Tatsuki was suddenly very worried.

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"Where are you going?" Kotarou asked him that night as Tatsuki walked down the stairs to the door.

"To look for Yuuto," he responded, pulling on his shoes.

"Did you call his house?" Kotarou questioned.

Tatsuki nodded. "He hasn't been home since yesterday."

Kotarou padded quickly after him. "I'll come with you."

"No," Tatsuki said coldly.

Kotarou glared at him, angry and annoyed. "It wasn't a yes or no question, Tatsuki. Yuuto's my friend. I'm _coming_," he said firmly.

Tatsuki looked uneasy, but didn't say anything else.

As he climbed onto the Kawasaki behind his cousin, he thought once again of what had happened with Sono.

But when he wrapped his arms around Tatsuki's middle, he felt nothing but the warmth of his skin through his shirt.

He thought about Tatsuki. What was he feeling?

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Tatsuki suppressed a shiver when Kotarou's arms encircled him, but no images of death and destruction flashed in front of his eyes, and he relaxed a little.

They drove around Yuuto's usual hangouts. They found nothing, and no one had seen him.

After more than an hour of clinging to Tatsuki as they went from place to place, Kotarou was exhausted and Tatsuki was losing patience. Suddenly Kotarou's head snapped up.

"Wait a second! Turn around, Tatsuki, I think I just saw Yuuto's bike," he cried excitedly.

Tatsuki obeyed without question. They pulled into an alleyway half hidden by a noodle cart, and, just like Kotarou had said, there at the end was Yuuto's CBR.

Tatsuki and Kotarou dismounted and went to examine the motorcycle, but there was no evidence of Yuuto had gone. Even Tatsuki's powers showed him nothing.

"So where do you think he is?" Kotarou asked nervously. "I mean he wouldn't ditch school without a reason. That's not like Yuuto."

Tatsuki's eyes were not on Kotarou. Instead, he was looking at a small part of the shadowed ground that was darker than the rest. Kneeling down, he touched his fingertips to the spot and found it wet. He pulled his hand back and stared with horror at his fingers. Blood. _Yuuto's blood_, he thought, though he couldn't say how he knew.

"Oh my god," Kotarou gasped. "Is it--do you think it's Yuuto's?" He touched Tatsuki's shoulder lightly, skin just barely grazing his neck.

Suddenly the past rushed at Tatsuki. He saw Yuuto fall to the ground as he was hit in the head from behind, and the unidentified person dragged him away. Then the vision switched, and Tatsuki was seeing a different past. It was somewhere he'd never been but felt strangely familiar with anyway. He saw a warehouse with the number nine painted on the side; a lake with a wooden dock, and thick, untended grass growing along its border; the highway in the distance far behind the line of warehouses; and, dragging an unconscious Yuuto through a door in warehouse nine, Tatsuki saw...

...Koutari.

His jaw clenched in anger. _I knew it_.

"Tatsuki?" Kotarou called tentatively.

"I know where he is," Tatsuki said shortly.

"But..how--" Kotarou began, but Tatsuki was already straddling his bike.

"Let's go."

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**A/N:** Hey, you know what I really like? Reviews!


	4. Unwanted Darkness

**A/N: **I'm really quite tired right now, and I was going to wait until tomorrow to update this...but then one of those little review notices appeared in my mailbox, and it made me happy, and I do strange things when I'm happy. Like updating stories instead of sleeping. Besides, Oruka is reminding me that I already have the whole story written, so I have no excuse for not posting chapters regularly. Oh, did I mention that I ramble when I'm sleepy?

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Four: **Unwanted Darkness

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Yuuto opened his eyes groggily. His head throbbed and his body ached, but he was alive. He was bound and gagged, ling on his side in front of a pile of boxes. 

After much struggling and cursing, he managed to push himself into a sitting position. He leaned back against the boxes and rested. When he stopped panting, he tried to push himself to his feet.

Pain lanced through his left foot and he let out a muffled scream as he dropped back down. Tears stung his eyes and the room spun mercilessly.

_Well, isn't that nice_, he thought sarcastically. _I've been kidnapped and my foot is broken. I thought these things only happened to Kotarou._ He sighed heavily. _Now what?_

Weakened by his own pain, Yuuto slumped sideways. "Hello, floor. I'm Yuuto. Nice to meet you," he mumbled tiredly through the gag before slipping back into blissful unconsciousness.

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Tatsuki slid off his bike outside of a warehouse. He didn't want Koutari to know they were here, so he didn't want to make too much noise by driving his bike through the warehouses.

He looked around in irritation at the numberless warehouses stretching into the distance on both sides.

"We need to find the lake. The warehouse we're looking for is right near it, and it has the number nine painted on the side," he said to Kotarou.

"What?" Kotarou looked at him in disbelief. "But there must be hundreds of buildings here. It could take forever! What if Yuuto is hurt?"

"Fine," Tatsuki sighed. "We'll split up then. You take all of the warehouses on that side," he ordered, pointing to his right, "and all take the ones on this side."

"If you find it, don't be stupid and go in alone."

Kotarou turned red. "I can take care of myself, thanks," he snapped.

Tatsuki was silent. After a moment, Kotarou looked away. "Fine," he grumbled.

"Meet me back here in twenty minutes," Tatsuki said.

The two separated and began searching for warehouse nine. Tatsuki passed building after numberless building, and he saw no sign of the lake he'd seen in his vision, but he was certain this was the place.

_Koutari left me that part of the past on purpose,_ he thought. _I couldn't see anything until I touched both Yuuto's blood _and_ Kotarou. What's that bastard up to?_

After what seemed like hours, Tatsuki spied the glimmer of the twilit sky reflecting on water up ahead. He picked up his pace, and within a minute or to he was a stone's throw away from the lake, rippling gently in the slight breeze. He glanced behind him and saw the highway in the distance, just as he had in his vision.

_So the warehouse must be right--_

_Crunch._

Tatsuki whipped around. In front of him stood a smug Koutari.

"I knew you'd come. Honestly, Tatsuki, you're so predictable."

"Why are you doing this? Tatsuki asked evenly, though inside he was trembling with fear.

Koutari's expression changed with lightning speed. His eyes were cold and filled with a vicious hatred. "Why?" he repeated nastily. "Oh, no, I'm not going to tell you why. You see, I wanted you to suffer, and what better way to accomplish that than to let you die without _knowing_ what you did wrong?"

Koutari sprang at him, throwing wild punches and clawing at his face. Tatsuki fought back, landing solid punches and kicks, but Koutari was filled with a fury that would not be denied. One hit to his stomach and another to his back as he doubled over brought Tatsuki down. Koutari rolled him over with his foot. He knelt down to straddle Tatsuki's chest, and wrapped his hands in a vicelike grip around the dark-haired boy's throat.

"Don't fight it, Tatsuki," he giggled madly. "You'll never win. Never!"

Tatsuki struggled, but he was getting weaker by the second. Koutari squeezed harder, and Tatsuki's vision went black.


	5. Salvation

**A/N: **This chapter is dedicated to the person who is single-handedly 2/3 of my reviews for this story so far: **K a w a i i - S y a o r a n**. Your reviews make me smile. Aaaand maybe this chapter will make up for my evil cliffie on chapter four. Hehe...  
_-quick bow-_ Please excuse any OOCness.

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Five: **Salvation

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_Click. Click. Click._

Karen watched from behind some metal barrels a few hundred yards away, far too terrified to do anything but snap pictures.

_Oh, god,_ she thought in despair. _He's dead, he's dead, I just watched him die! What should I do?_

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Kotarou was lost. He'd been wandering through the warehouses, but in the gathering darkness, he'd gotten turned around, accidentally doubling back once or twice. Now he had no idea where he was.

_If only I could find Tatsuki_, he thought miserably.

Suddenly he emerged from between two warehouses and found himself on the shore of the lake. He looked around and blinked in surprise at a large number four painted on a warehouse a hundred yards to his right.

He straightened his shoulders in excitement. "Warehouse nine must be really close. This way, then" he said to himself as he spotted warehouse number five a few hundred yards to his left.

Walking along the lakeshore so he wouldn't get lost again, Kotarou had gone past three numbered warehouses when he heard voices and ducked behind a stack of empty pallets.

"Please, please, _please_ don't let them see me," he whispered before poking his head cautiously around the pallets.

Kotarou's jaw dropped in surprise. _But...that's Kazuma! What's he doing here?_ Before he could utter a sound to let his friends know he was there, Kazuma leapt at Tatsuki.

Kotarou remained rooted to the spot as his cousin and his friend fought each other. Tatsuki went down hard, and Kotarou's heart leapt into his throat when Koutari started to choke him, but fear held him still and kept him quiet.

Tatsuki lay still. Koutari stood, a satisfied smile on his face

_Why?_ Kotarou thought bitterly as tears rolled unheeded down his face. _Why did you have to hurt Tatsuki, Kazuma? Why him?_

Kotarou felt betrayed in the worst way. And as he watched Koutari stoop to lift Tatsuki under his arms and drag him towards the lake, the betrayal gave way to anger.

Koutari was at the end of the dock now, and with one final heave, he tossed Tatsuki's limp body into the lake.

Without a second thought, Kotarou dove into the water. A sense of urgency like none he'd ever known propelled him forward with rapid speed. The water was pitch black, but Kotarou wasn't relying on sight to find his cousin. He closed his eyes and just _felt_.

_There!_ he thought, and dove deeper.

_Just a little further--_

His hand touched fabric. Kotarou grabbed hold of the material and pulled the body attached to it closer. He wrapped his arms around Tatsuki's chest and kicked upwards. As his head broke the surface of the water, Kotarou inhaled sharply, and attempted to swim to the shore.

Just as his muscles began to cramp and his head dipped below the water tiredly, he felt another pair of hands tugging at him. He raised his head and locked eyes with Karen, standing chest-deep in the water. Finding that his feet did indeed touch the ground now, Kotarou fought his way to the shore with renewed energy. Wordlessly, Karen moved to Tatsuki's other side, and together they half carried and half dragged him out of the water.

They laid him down on the grass gently. Karen turned to him. "I'm sorry. But I think he's--"

"Nine." Kotarou interrupted.

"What?"

"Warehouse nine," he croaked, desperate to drown out the words he couldn't bear to hear. "Yuuto's there. Find him. Make sure he's okay."

She hesitated.

"Please," he begged.

Karen pursed her lips, nodded, and ran off, stopping long enough to grab the camera she'd left on the ground before wading into the lake to help.

Kotarou turned back to Tatsuki. His fingers probed the slender throat, desperately searching for a pulse. He gasped when he felt the faint heartbeat beneath his fingertips.

But Tatsuki still wasn't breathing, and his heartbeat was growing fainter by the second.

_Oh, god, what do I do?_ Kotarou panicked.

Then it dawned on him. "Of course! Mouth-to-mouth!"

He used one hand to pinch Tatsuki's nose closed, and the other to tilt his head back.

_Here goes..._

He covered Tatsuki's mouth with his own and breathed into him. He pulled back just enough to let the air exit Tatsuki's lungs, then repeated the process. As he worked, begging his cousin to just _breathe_ already, a strange warm feeling flooded through him and his spine tingled.

A cough sounded beneath him, and Kotarou jerked back, startled, his heart racing. Tatsuki rolled onto his side and coughed up some water. His face was contorted in pain. Kotarou rushed to help him sit up as he coughed out the rest of the water.

When he was done, Tatsuki just leaned against him weakly, shivering and breathing unevenly.

_But he's alive_, Kotarou thought joyfully as he held the trembling boy in his arms. Tears slipped down his face and onto Tatsuki's, but if he noticed, he didn't show it.

"Kotarou?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," he whispered.

Kotarou laughed weakly and swiped at his eyes with a wet sleeve.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "No problem."


	6. Thoughts from Heaven

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Six: **Thoughts from Heaven

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Yuuto moaned lightly and opened his eyes, squinting at the sudden light accosting his vision. A pale, pretty face swam into view. 

"Mmm...an angel..." he mumbled.

"Cut it out, you pervert," a disembodied voice snapped. "Being hurt doesn't make you any less creepy, that's for sure."

The light shifted, and the objects around him lost their wobbly appearance. He looked again at the face hovering above him and blinked in surprise. "Karen?"

She raised one eyebrow. "You're a quick one, aren't you?"

"No, I mean--what are you doing here?" he asked as she helped him sit up. He pressed one hand to his forehead, happy to find that she'd untied him. The gag was gone, too.

"I was following your friends," she confessed. "I wanted to get some good pictures, but I..." She stopped and looked away.

Yuuto examined her aura. _Blue and purple...She's sad and afraid, but why?_

"Tatsuki and Kotarou are here?" he asked. "Where are they?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by another voice that came from the direction of the door.

"Here," Kotarou said. "We're right here."

Yuuto craned his neck to look past Karen, and his eyes widened.

Karen just gaped. "You're alive?"

_Just barely, it seems,_ Yuuto thought grimly. Tatsuki was leaning heavily on Kotarou. Bruises were forming all over his body, blood flowed freely from some point on his forehead, and his bottom lip was badly cut.

It was then that he noticed everyone's wet clothes.

"Okay," he clapped his hands. "So what'd I miss?"

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"So you're saying you have pretty much the whole fight on film?" Yuuto asked in amazement. He and Karen were both sitting in the hospital, waiting for the doctor to sign his release papers.

"Yeah. I took the pictures without even thinking," Karen replied, looking at him suspiciously. "Are you going to try to make me destroy them like your friend did last time? Because after the hell I went through tonight, I think I've earned--"

"No," Yuuto said simply. He smiled and rested his chin on the palm of one hand. "I'm going to make you develop them."

Karen blinked in surprise. "What?"

Yuuto's smiled widened into a grin. "You're going to develop the film and make plenty of copies of the pictures for me."

"Why?" Karen asked in confusion.

"I want to have a little fun with Koutari tomorrow."

Karen almost shivered at the hateful gleam in Yuuto's eyes when he mentioned the brown-haired guy who had tried to kill Tatsuki. "Why should I help you?" she asked to cover her nervousness, not knowing that Yuuto could see right through her.

"If you do, I'll try to make sure Tatsuki doesn't break your camera when he finds out you've been stalking him for the last few months," he said, holding her gaze. Gone was the hatred, replaced by an intensity she found both comforting and unnerving. It was as if he was looking through her to her very soul.

Karen paled at his words. _He knows?_

She set her jaw firmly. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Good. I'll need you to do something else, too, but that can wait. Right now I have a more important question to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked warily.

Yuuto flashed her a beautiful smile and her heart skipped a beat. "Will you honor me by being the first person to sign my cast, gorgeous?"

"You're such a creep," she said, but smiled back anyway, and took the marker he offered.

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**A/N:** Aww, isn't it sweet? I had to throw in a little Y/K fluff _somewhere_. After all, Yuuto deserves love too, right? You ever notice that in the books he's supposed to have gone out with all of these girls and yet you never actually _see_ him out with one. Instead they all shoot him down and slap him and...well, you get the idea. So since I had him beaten, kidnapped, and injured, I decided he needed something good to happen to him to make up for it. :)


	7. Confession

**A/N:** I _think_ I meant to update this on Friday...but with so few people reviewing, I guess I just...forgot. Hehe. Oh well. Since the next chapter will be the longest one in the story (and there are only nine) I might wait a while to post it. But I'm not sure yet. **Reviews** _could_ change my mind...**

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Seven: **Confession

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The door to Kotarou's room opened with a barely audible squeak. Kotarou turned his head to look at the door, but the hall light flooding into the darkened room left the person at the door a mere silhouette. Still, he knew instinctively who it was. 

"Kotarou? Are you awake?" came Tatsuki's soft voice.

He sat up in bed and threw back the covers. "Yeah."

Tatsuki stepped into the room and closed the door gently behind him. He hesitated, then walked over to the bed. Kotarou scooted over so Tatsuki could sit down. He had gauze wrapped around his forehead, bruises darkening his throat, and a sling supporting one arm. It hurt Kotarou to see his cousin so battered, and he wondered for the hundredth time why Kazuma hated him enough to attempt murder.

After a moment, Tatsuki spoke, his voice even quieter than usual, and lacking the harshness Kotarou had become accustomed to. "We need to talk."

Tatsuki did most of the talking for a while. He told Kotarou about the power he'd unknowingly triggered, and how this power had tormented him through his childhood--how it had kept him from having friends and made everyone think he was a freak. He told Kotarou what it was like for him when he entered jails or hospitals, and how Udou-sensei had "helped" him and his warning to Tatsuki. He even told Kotarou about Koutari's head games. And when he finished, a heavy silence hung over the room.

Kotarou's head reeled. Emotions, memories, and thoughts went spinning about, colliding into one another and exploding into a thousand fragments, only to reform and begin the cycle again and again. Things that used to make sense suddenly didn't, and other things that had once confused him were all at once so clear that it made his head hurt.

He had a weird psychic touch that affected people in strange ways. _At least now I know why everyone's always touching me._

Yuuto could see people's emotions? _That's a little creepy. What if I don't want him to know what I'm feeling?_

And Tatsuki...

_"You get too close, and I won't be."_

Kotarou understood now. It was _his_ fault. All of it.

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Tatsuki finished speaking and avoided Kotarou's eyes. He'd basically just killed a small part of his cousin's innocence. He didn't need Yuuto's power to tell him that right now Kotarou was feeling guilty. He wished he could take back everything he'd just said, but he knew it was useless to think such thoughts now. A part of him was almost glad that Kotarou was hurting, and that part of him made him hate himself.

A sniffle beside him made Tatsuki turn his head. Tears were streaming down Kotarou's face, half obscured by his hair as he hung his head forward in shame.

_This isn't Kotarou's fault,_ a snide little voice whispered in his mind. _It's yours. _You're_ responsible this time._

"I'm sorry," Kotarou said brokenly. "I didn't know. If I'd just--I could have--" he faltered. "I'll move back home. I'll pack tomorrow, and I'll--I'll--" He hiccupped and his words dropped off into nothingness.

Tatsuki felt as if he'd been slapped. "No," he said before he could stop himself. "You're not going anywhere."

Kotarou raised his head in confusion and surprise. "But I've caused you so much trouble. And I hurt you--"

"No more than I've hurt you," he retorted, looking Kotarou squarely in the eyes. He couldn't stop the words from pouring out.

Tears still leaked from Kotarou's wide eyes. "But I--"

"I don't want you to go," he said honestly. "Besides," he added, "Udou said_ you_ were the one who could help me with my powers."

"He did?" Kotarou looked hopeful. "How?"

"I don't know."  
Kotarou looked crestfallen, and ready to cry again. Tatsuki made up his mind. He put one trembling arm around the blonde's shoulders and pulled him closer, hoping Kotarou would understand what he couldn't say in words.

_I _need_ you here, Kota. It hurts to touch you...but I'll take the pain rather than risk losing you_.

Kotarou clung to him and sobbed, and Tatsuki knew he understood.

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**A/N #2:** Sorry for any OOCness. I try.  
Now...review! Review review review review review!


	8. The Unmasked Devil

**A/N: **Wow. I came online to check my email today, and 6 new reviews greeted me with a cheery little smack in the face. Fox was surprised. But Fox is pleased. Extra thanks to **strife-lover **and** K a w a i i - S y a o r a n**! Between the two of you, you've made my day a happy one. Quite an accomplishment for people I don't know. _-grin-  
_Only one more chapter after this one. I'll likely post it tomorrow, though I admit I'm more than half-tempted to post it now since it's the shortest in the story...

...but then again, this one is the longest, so I think this is enough of my story for one day. Hehe. Enjoy!

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The King of Hell  
by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Eight: **The Unmasked Devil

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Kazuma Koutari walked with his head held high and a spring in his step. Tatsuki was gone, Yuuto had never seen his face, and there weren't any witnesses. Life was good. 

He slid open the door to the classroom and walked in. A quick scan of the room kept him in high spirits. Both Oohiras were gone--he wasn't sure why Kotarou wasn't there, but it didn't matter much--and Yuuto, trying to get girls to sign his cast, didn't seem to suspect a thing.

Koutari took his seat and waited happily for the teacher to start class.

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Yuuto narrowed his eyes as he read Koutari's bright yellow aura. _Keep smiling, bastard. You won't be in such a good mood for long._

The teacher strode in and waited for everyone to sit down. "All right, everyone, let's start today with--"

The door slid open and Yuuto grinned as Kotarou and Tatsuki walked in. "About time you two got here," he called over the whispers that had started up when the class saw Tatsuki's battered form.

Koutari's head snapped up. Tatsuki ignored his wide-eyed, hatred filled gaze as he sat down. Yuuto was happy to see that only a small hint of fear was present in the mixture of emotions swirling around him. Whatever the reason, he was no longer terribly afraid of the brunette. Koutarou also had a complex aura, but Yuuto didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Sir," he addressed the teacher. "May I make an announcement to the class?"

"Make it quick, Urushiyama."

"Thank you, sir." He struggled to his feet and hobbled to the front of the classroom. "In your desks, you will all find a plain white envelope like this." He held up the single envelope he held before handing it to the teacher. "So if you would, please find and open them now." He bowed to the best of his ability and watched as everyone except Tatsuki and Kotarou shuffled through their desks. He'd spoken to Kotarou over the phone the night before and explained his plan so the boys wouldn't be shocked when he put it into motion. Tatsuki wasn't happy about the idea, but he didn't fight it either.

Yuuto smiled when the whispers started again. He watched Koutari carefully as he opened his envelope. Inside were six pictures. The first one showed Koutari initializing the attack against Tatsuki. The second showed Tatsuki falling to the ground. The third one was of Koutari strangling Tatsuki, and the fourth a closeup of his crazed, grinning face, eyes wide with a sick delight. The fifth picture showed him on the dock, dragging Tatsuki's body carelessly behind him. The final picture was taken just as Tatsuki's body hit the water.

As Koutari flipped through the pictures, his aura became darker. But after the last picture, he laughed.

The entire class looked at him in surprise.

"I'm impressed, Yuuto. How did you manage to put my face in these pictures? They look so real. Was it all done digitally?" He smiled good-naturedly, and Yuuto could tell the class found him convincing. They all looked to him for answers.

"Explain this, Urushiyama," said the teacher angrily.

But before he could respond, the sound of a fist slamming into flesh and bone reverberated throughout the room.

Yuuto's head whipped around to look at Koutari. He was sprawled on the floor, holding one side of his face as he looked up in shock. Kotarou stood above him, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The room went deathly silent.

_Damn, kid,_ Yuuto thought with pride. _I didn't know you had it in you._

"Oohira, what is the meaning of this?" the teacher demanded, but the boy just ignored him.

"You're sick, Kazuma," Kotarou growled.

"You don't honestly believe this, do you? Kotarou, I wouldn't--"

"I was there, you ass!" Kotarou shouted. His eyes blazed with fury. "Who do you think pulled Tatsuki out of the water? It sure as _hell_ wasn't the fish."

Some of the anger faded from his features and he dropped his gaze to the floor. "You're wrong, you know," he said quietly, almost sadly.

"What?" Koutari snapped, finally dropping his innocent act.

"You said Tatsuki doesn't have any friends. But you're wrong."

Koutari sneered. "Oh? Name some."

"Yuuto, Karen...and me."

Koutari laughed shortly. "Cut the crap. He hates you, and you know it."

Kotarou shook his head. "We fight a lot, but that doesn't mean we're not still friends. He's always getting me out of trouble, even if it means risking his own life. If he really hated me, he wouldn't bother," he finished with confidence, and Yuuto could see even without his powers that the boy spoke the truth.

Yuuto glanced at Tatsuki and noticed for the first time how much clearer his aura looked, as if some of the weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

A_ll that time leaning on Kotarou yesterday must have done something good. I was right then--by touching Kotarou, Tatsuki is somehow being healed._

"Oh, how touching," Koutari said, his sugary sweet voice laced with contempt. He stood and glared at Kotarou. "You shouldn't be so trusting, brat."

"You're right. I was stupid enough to trust _you_, wasn't I?" Kotarou fired back with passion.

"Your cousin's kept a few secrets from you--"

"I already know, Kazuma, and I don't care," he snarled.

Koutari was taken aback.

"The only thing we don't know," Yuuto said quietly, "is why you hate Tatsuki anyway. But, then again, that's not really all that important anymore either. You'll pay for what you've done."

Realizing he had no chance of winning, Koutari growled in rage. "You ruined it all. Everything would have been fine if you'd just let him _die!_" he screamed. He stepped forward and slammed his fist into Kotarou's stomach.

The blonde doubled over and his knees buckled. He fell to the floor coughing and gasping. Blood trickled out of his mouth to splatter the floor as he struggled to breathe. Koutari moved as if to hit Kotarou again, but he never got the chance.

Before anyone realized he'd even moved, Tatsuki had Koutari against the wall, his good hand clasping the enraged boy's throat. Tatsuki's aura was the color of Kotarou's blood, and startlingly clear and free of other emotions. "I told you to leave them alone," he hissed.

Yuuto fumbled in his jacket pocket for his phone. He dialed the number quickly and hoped the rest of his plan worked.

Koutari fought his way free from Tatsuki and the two engaged in a bitter fight. Neither was holding back. The rest of the class just watched in horror and queer fascination as the violence continued. Even the teacher was strangely frozen where he stood.

Punch after punch was thrown, connected, and ignored. Finally, Tatsuki went down on his back. To put it simply, fighting with only one arm does not give a person very good odds in a fight.

Koutari laughed. "Don't you get it, Oohira? You're _weak_. You can't win."

"I'm not interested in winning," Tatsuki said. He bent one leg and pushed his body off the ground, and with the other delivered a vicious kick to Koutari's jaw that sent him flying.

Koutari sat up and wiped the blood from his mouth. "You bastard. I'll--"

The door to the classroom slid open, and Karen walked in trailing half a dozen cops.

"That one," she said, pointing to Koutari.

"Kazuma Koutari, you're under arrest for suspicion of assault, kidnapping, and attempted murder," one of the men said.

They quickly put him in handcuffs and went to talk to the teacher.

"I'm glad you came through," Yuuto said happily.

"Why are you so surprised? I said I _would_, didn't I?" she said scornfully, one hand on her hip.

"And here I thought all photographers were sleazy, underhanded, and full of fake promises," he teased.

"Look who's talking!" Karen retorted with glee.

And Yuuto had the grace to blush.


	9. Epilogue: Healing

**A/N:** The final chapter! Dun dun dun...**

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**The King of Hell  
**by Lamenting Fox

**Chapter Nine (epilogue): **Healing

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Seemingly forgotten by everyone, Kotarou moved to sit next to Tatsuki, their backs resting against a wall. Tatsuki could tell something was wrong, and he waited patiently for the blonde to tell him what it was. When Kotarou spoke, it was just loud enough for Tatsuki and only Tatsuki to hear him. 

"I know it's my fault. I mean about your power and all. You're right to blame me. Even if I didn't know I did it, I still hurt you."

Tatsuki's stomach clenched. _No_, he thought. _Don't do this. Don't say it. I don't want you to blame yourself. I can't deal with that._

"But I want to make it up to you. Somehow. And I _will_ find a way, you got that?"

Tatsuki's eyes widened in surprise.

"I just...I have to know. Even after everything I said to Koutari..." He paused and met Tatsuki's eyes. "Do you hate me?"

_So that's what's bothering him?_

Tatsuki's gaze softened and he looked away. "I should," he said gently. "That's what I've always told myself."

"Oh," he heard Kotarou whisper dejectedly.

"But I don't," he added. He didn't have to see Kotarou's face to feel his happiness. He scooted his hand over until it just brushed Kotarou's, and he felt warmth tingling through his body. And then, though no one but Kotarou saw it, Tatsuki smiled.

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Yuuto saw a white flash out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over just in time to see Tatsuki's smile before it disappeared. As he took in their touching hands and the pure white of their auras, only one thought entered Yuuto's mind.

_It's about time._

-Owari-

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**A/N #2:** Aww... Sweet, ne? And so this is where I leave you. I bid you all a fine farewell, and hope that you will continue to love and adore the manga, write some stories of your own, and, of course, review. Ta!


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